NBA Scouting Reports, Pacific Division (Part Two)August 5, 2008Overview: A surefire Hall of Famer who is arguably the best player in basketball today. Son of former NBA player Joe Bryant. Unreal work ethic, intensity, and competitive spirit. Has all the physical tools necessary to dominate a game athletically. Jumps out of the gym, shows a good first step, and is incredibly strong. Not only a physical specimen, but a master of one-on-one offensive skills. Handles the ball extremely well for a shooting guard. Capable of setting up his teammates. Can beat his man off the dribble consistently. Phenomenal mid-range game. Unstoppable when hot. Has become one of the League’s best defensive players as he’s progressed. Capable of playing lock down defense when it counts. Pulls down rebounds in traffic when he decides to pursue them. Never afraid to do it all late in games. Among the league leader year in and year out in minutes played. Conditioning is legendary. Developed quickly after landing with the Lakers out of Lower Merion HS. Won every award imaginable as a prep. Teamed with Shaquille O’Neal to win NBA Championships in 2000, 2001, and 2002. Still trying to recapture that success. Nine time All-Star and seven time All-Defensive team member. Saw his charismatic image take numerous hits due to internal disputes in Los Angeles and legal issues. No longer as marketable, but still one of the top players to ever lace them up.

Offense: One of the most prolific offensive players ever. Makes shots from everywhere. Gets about a third of his offensive one-on-one, with fast breaks, pick and rolls, spot ups, and post ups accounting for another tenth each. Very efficient scorer. Fantastic shooting stroke. Can make shots frequently without his feet set and falling away. Equally consistent off the dribble. Great catch and shoot player. Tremendous finisher at the rim. Seems to hang in the air for days before putting the ball up. Gets to the free throw line at a great rate, and converts between 80-85% once there. Possibly the best in the league at creating his own shot. Knows how to use fakes to get open looks from the midrange in. Almost impossible to stop one-on-one. Great ball handler, going either left or right. Has no trouble running the point and getting in the lane. Very good passer as well. Creates shot for his teammates with ease, thanks to his terrific feel for the game. Very good in the post as well. Will punish mismatches down there on a regular basis. Dominant in almost every aspect of the game. Takes over when it counts. Can will his team to victory. Ridiculous killer instinct. At times takes too much upon himself and freezes teammates out. Doesn’t always know his limitations. Shot-selection isn’t always the best. Will settle for some extremely difficult attempts, particularly from beyond the arc, which hurts his 3-point percentages. Has been criticized for being overly dominant and a bit selfish at times, but has learned to involve his teammates more consistently as career went on.

Defense: Easily the best perimeter defender on the Los Angeles roster. Absolutely great when he wants to be. Will get in his mans jersey, stay low, and move his feet to make his man give the ball up. Shows very good lateral quickness and the ability to hawk the ball. Possesses enough strength to defend his man in the post as well. Always gets a hand up on jump shooters. Displays great timing and anticipation when shooting into passing lanes for deflections. Will look to block shots when he sees his teammates get beat. Rebounds at a high rate. Excellent across the board. [Read Full Article]